Opinion: Another U.S. Diplomatic Defeat?

Assistant features editor David Feith on the U.N. General Assembly's vote to grant Palestine non-member observer status. Photo: Associated Press

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... you were ... the ... unfortunate and counterproductive resolution ... United Nations General Assembly ... odd that just passed ... because it places further obstacle in the path to peace ... we have been clear that only through direct negotiations between the parties can the Palestinians and Israelis ... achieve the peace ... they both deserve ... of course was the current state Hillary Clinton reacting to the vote in the United Nations General Assembly this week in the Palestinian Authority observer status at the UN similar to what the Vatican has they're here to discuss this with me is the germ is the Journal it oral pages assistant features editor David Feith ... David up ... Telefónica could this be regarded as the diplomatic defeat for the United States ... yes and no on one hand it was ... intended to defeat and perhaps a sign of of ... the season races ... it ... it makes our report diplomatic record at the UN ... that the US couldn't get France and Germany and other allies to vote with us against this Palestinian move to bring one of our ... friends reporting Germany abstained ... at the same time in general the idea the UN General Assembly ... a place ... in populated areas to ... to a great degree by the two countries to better better not democratic ... that have ... no particular case for for the West and Western values ... I've that the UN General some he ... doesn't like Israel and the sight of it cos Aims is not new in fact it goes back and literally decades ... well I guess the rationale for doing some opponents of those who voted for was that it kind of ... forces the Israelis to enter into negotiations with the ... Palestinian Authority what you think is the practical effect ... in in those terms ... are pretzel effect might be very much the opposite ... in Greece for two reasons the first is that the Israelis see this as as a very un friendly in aggressive acceptance of the Israeli government and Israeli voters ... might be Obel less inclined ... to ... enter into negotiations and pursue a peace process which has returned peace for very long time ... the other reason is that ... this action in the new when ... actually go is ... fundamentally against ... the entire framework for the peace process which has existed since the nineteen ninety for gospel records that said ... that the Palestinian ... path to a state ... is a path through bilateral negotiations with Israel ... not through moves like this in international arena ... ok one question I think all was like the center of the subject one that comes up news is there any provision hear any indication that the Palestinians or the Arabs ... are at this point willing to recognize ... Israel's legitimacy ... the the the short answer is that it is know is that there are not good signs in that direction I Israel's UN ambassador actually said yesterday ... that ... it was in the sixty fifth anniversary ... of the UN vote in nineteen forty seven to create two states for two peoples ... the ... the the the Israelis accept about forty seven in the Arab states rejected here we are sixty five years later the UN is creating a birth certificate as well with Abbas call that the Palestinians ... yet the Palestinians have still not come around ... to saying that their vision also ... has two states for two peoples yell ... well and so some like it so it estimates mulesing more things change the more they remain the same and ... a ... strong United Nations bank stated ...